Walking the Dog

Callie and I hit the road each morning after my meeting. I used to take her with me and leave her in the car so we could go straight from the meeting to our morning adventure. Then she ate my steering wheel, so now I go home and pick her up. When we first started walking, a walk around the block was a big deal for her, she was that little. Now the girl can cover some territory! We have so many great places to walk in this town, but our favorite has been our own little neighborhood. We live about six blocks from Sherwood Park, so we wander down there, do a loop or two. Sherwood has the miles marked and it is a one mile loop once around. That gives her some interaction with other dogs on the way. Then we head over to 1st street and up to Hillcrest to do some uphill and play in the irrigation canal. It is tough to find hill work around here unless you drive a little ways out of town. The valley floor is flat, flat, flat. Then we wind our way by St. Mary's Hospital and home again. It is always a nice walk, we usually see the same people. They make a big fuss over Callie that she just eats up! It feels good to get out and do the physical work, I get tired of my own mind, it begins to feel like a prison, the same thing over and over again. Writing sometimes helps, but my brain still churns. There is still so much of the past I have unresolved with myself. I work at it, but if I sit too long it starts to run like a squirrel in my head.

On top of Hillcrest is the remains of the KREX-TV station. I've heard their going to rebuild it, but I haven't seen a lot of progress. It burned to the ground last spring. I hadn't been living in my current place very long, and Mom and I were going to do something and saw the smoke. When she was driving over she had that fear that it might be closer to me. I was afraid it might be close to Jim. I didn't know where he lived at the time. It was a Sunday, a quiet day in this town, most everyone is at church. The reporters, camera folks and crew come into the store frequently and that day was no different. They reported an electrical short just as they were going on the air. The fire spread fast, the fire department couldn't get there fast enough. The fire took everything except the tower that I can see from my house, and can been seen all over town. I know they are back on the air, but I don't know where they are broadcasting from, and I hear they will rebuild, but it's anybodys guess as to when. In the meantime, Callie and I cover our miles building her strength each a day and enjoying the great fall weather that if finally here, clearing my mind, making room for the new and hoping that someday I can forgive myself the past.